A number of women who had both their ovaries removed by former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary and who are still unaware this was done unnecessarily, are to receive letters from the Health Service Executive in coming weeks.
The letters, which are to be sent to about 30 women through their GPs, will offer them an opportunity to have their medical records vetted by an independent expert to determine if their surgery was appropriate or unnecessary.
It is expected a number of them will find out their surgery was unnecessary and they will then be entitled to claim compensation under a redress scheme set up by the Government earlier this year.
When the redress scheme was announced, the HSE said it would not be writing to these women. However in a U-turn following consultation with Patient Focus, which represents women damaged by Dr Neary, it has decided now to write to the women concerned.
In a statement yesterday it said: "The HSE has agreed to write to those women who, according to their records, had a bilateral oophorectomy or second ovary removed by Dr Michael Neary while he was a consultant at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. The HSE will work closely with Patient Focus in this regard.
"The HSE had advised Patient Focus that it was concerned that any attempt on its part to contact women directly who may have undergone an oophorectomy procedure would inevitably include contacting women who had these procedures carried out appropriately.
"This in turn could potentially cause huge upset and distress to these women."
Sheila O'Connor of Patient Focus said she was relieved at the HSE's decision.
The redress scheme made provision to compensate 50 women who had both their ovaries removed by Dr Neary. Some of them were already known to Patient Focus or have contacted it in recent weeks.
Letters will be sent by the HSE to the remainder.
Applications by the women for compensation must be made by August 12th.